Something Akin to Fear
by Monday Fish
Summary: Draco/Harry slash eventually if I ever get there.... Chapter three finished
1. Chapter 1

It was the beginning to a promising new day, the sun just peeked over the ivy covered garden wall and the sparkling spider webs still glistened with dew. A cat stalked down the driveway of 4 Privet drive, and the chatter of birds drowned all noise out. Yes, it was a very nice day, but as you know things always look best before the storm.

Harry sat up in bed and wondered what had awoken him, a haze drifted through his mind as he stretched and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Yawning he looked at the clock, 8 am on the dot.  He rubbed the scar on his forehead and was vaguely surprised to find it warm to the touch. It wasn't really all that strange though; it had been doing that lately. Maybe he was coming down with something. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and placed his feet on the floor. He woke sharply as the cool wood touched his skin and wondering if he should just hop back into his bed, instead, he slipped his feet into his worn old hand me down slippers.

            He heard a clattering outside his room, which meant the Dursleys were up. He pondered for a bit why someone hadn't come up to wake him, but then decided he rather didn't care. He was used to being just part of the woodwork and enjoyed it that way, seeing as the Dursleys weren't exactly what you might call his biggest fans.

            He looked around his small room; it only consisted of; his bed, a small wooden desk and a few bare shelves. All of Harry's possessions had been locked away under the staircase. No matter how much he tried to reason that he had to do his homework the Dursleys wouldn't hear of it. Thankfully two years ago Fred and George Weasley had taught him how to pick a lock with an ordinary paperclip. "Might come in useful you know," Fred had said with a knowing wink. Though he had to do his homework at night and be sure to have it all safely locked away in the morning he at least could get most of it out of the way.

            Harry stretched and his enormous shirtsleeve fell over his hands and he rolled it back up again with an annoyed grunt. He changed quickly into a gigantic pair of Dudley's old jeans and a purple shirt the size of a small pony. He strode into the hallway, grabbing his glasses off the desk by the door and arranging them on his nose. The light jerked him awake as he stood blinking in the hallway.

            "Harry! Are you awake boy? Come make the breakfast or I'm coming up there after you!"

            "Right Uncle Vernon, I'm coming" he repressed a snarl and strode down the stairs two by two.

            At the bottom Harry picked up the mail lying on the doormat and sifted through them before going into the kitchen. He had learned his lesson about keeping and reading any mail he received a secret and though, everyone he knew would use an owl, you never know.

            "Mail," he said simply and tossed it on the table.

            Uncle Vernon jumped and turned slightly green as the mail hit the table. The green turned to purple, then red and his moustache quivered, a sure sign Harry was going to get yelled at. Before he could though Harry felt a sharp jab in his back.

            "Ow," Harry's hand instinctively moved to the small of his back and rubbed it.

            "You're in the way!" Dudley yelled hitting Harry with his smelting stick again.

            "Oh my poor little duddiekins!" Aunt Petunia shrieked, she pushed Harry aside and hustled him over to the stove.

            '_Poor? Little?_' Harry stifled a laugh. Petunia absolutely refused to see her son for what he was, a very, very large spoiled pig.

            "You're more trouble then you're worth," Uncle Vernon said absent-mindedly going back to his newspaper. He blinked his dull unintelligent eyes and sniffed waggling his moustache.

            Harry sighed and took the pan of bacon from Aunt Petunia, on it was twelve long strips of bacon, at the end was a very small pathetic looking piece mostly consisting of gristle. Harry frowned knowing that that was his portion. Dudley's diet had lasted about two weeks before he pretended to faint from lack of food and threw a tantrum.

            Right now, his piggy eyes were glued transfixed to the television screen. Harry recognized the loud blaring noises to be Dudley's favourite television show; probably the only thing Dudley liked more that bullying Harry and getting what he wanted. The first couple days Harry was back Dudley only sidestepped around the house his hands clamped to his fat piggy bottom and avoiding Harry completely. Unfortunately that phase passed and he now spent all his free time ridiculing his cousin.

            "Aiiiiiiiekkkk!" A shrill squeaky scream echoed in the tiny kitchen drowning out the explosions on TV. Dudley's attention turned towards the pandemonium, his third favourite thing.

            An owl had flown in the kitchen window as Aunt Petunia opened it to let in the breeze; she now sat clutching her heart on the floor in an exaggerated show of fear.

            "What is that _creature_ doing in my house?" Uncle Vernon hollered, his voice booming over Aunt Petunia's laboured breathing. His glare turned to Harry his moustache twitching uncontrollably and his watery eyes stretched wide.

            The owl hooted and flew to Harry and promptly dropped a large parchment in the bacon. It circled around the kitchen once, and then flew back out the window. Harry bit his lip and thought fast.

            "O-Oh what's this then?" Harry said, a little shakily. "Must be a letter from my godfather to check on me, my-my convicted _murderer_ godfather."

            Vernon Dursley shook visibly and turned green, though over-used; this was the one excuse Harry could use to stay out of trouble, considering the circumstances were right.

            "Out!" Uncle Vernon bellowed. "OUT! I don't want to see you!"

            Harry scampered out of the kitchen with his greasy letter, pleased with his luck. He burst out the door and took off down the street at a fast, even pace. He slowed to a walk after he figured he was far enough from the Dursley's. For Harry, this was a treat, a whole day without having to be at Vernon and Dudley's beck and whim. His feet wandered down to an old willow tree that he liked to sit under. He found his familiar roost and began to open his letter.

            His letter was not, in fact, a letter from Sirius; he had known that from the moment he saw it. It was this year's official letter from Hogwarts, the green ink on the front glistened even in the shade of the tree and Harry's heart beat more rapidly as he peeled off the wax imprinted with the Hogwarts crest. Even though this was hardly exciting, he had received it 4 times before, it still helped Harry remember that Hogwarts indeed, was not a dream, but very real. Living with the Dursleys can be very tiring, but the light of hope in it all was Hogwarts, a wizarding school, Harry's school.

            He scanned the initial letter but moved quickly onto the list of things he needed to buy. He couldn't wait to go to Diagon Alley to buy his supplies and signify the start of a new year. A hoot in his ear brought his attention from the letter.

            "Hedwig!" Harry cried gleefully. The snowy owl nipped his ear affectionately before clawing impatiently at Harry's pocket. "I'm sorry Hedwig, I don't have any treats for you, I don't even have food for myself,"

            Hedwig pouted in a way only and owl could do and then bit the ribbon tying the package she held off her foot. Then she flapped her large wings and sat nearby with her back to Harry higher up in the tree.

            "Thanks Hedwig," Harry said glumly "_Moody owl,_" he grumbled under his breath.

            He looked at the card tucked in the ribbons binding the package. 'Harry' it read in gold sparkling letters. Harry raised an eyebrow; it didn't look like anyone's writing _he_ knew. He unfolded the piece of parchment. On it was three words:

Time. Will. Tell.

            Harry was getting used to strange things happening but this was certainly up there near 'very'. He'd learned enough about the wizarding world to know that no matter how different things were, no one sent anonymous mysterious letters. Though for something no one did, Harry sure got his share of it.

            He looked suspiciously at the package,

            "Hedwig…" The owl turned its head almost around, her body turning after it. "Where did you get this letter?"

            Hedwig tilted her head and cooed. She then ruffled her feathers and turned around again. Harry rubbed his scar, a habit he'd gotten into, and wondered why he thought Hedwig could suddenly talk and tell him where it was from. He decided not to open the package; he'd ask Hermione first. As much as he hated to admit it this certainly looked like bad news. He opened the letter to look at it again.

Open. Me.

            Harry dropped the letter in surprise.

            "Open me," he repeated out loud.

            And all at once, opening it sounded like a very good idea indeed. Why shouldn't he open it? It was addressed to him. It's not like Hedwig would run off to retrieve a package from anyone she didn't trust on his birthday. Yes of course, open it, that's what you did with packages wasn't it? In any case Harry needn't have thought about it because his hands were already untying the ribbons and ripping at the paper. Open me. Why not?

            A sparkle caught his eye in between the tissue paper that filled the inside. He pulled out wad after wad until finally, the only thing lying in the box was a coiled black string, on the string was a small luminescent stone. It shone and the insides moved slowly looking like clouds in the middle of a sunset. As he watched, the stone turned from green to red to yellow. It captivated him seeming alive. He picked up the stone and held it in both hands.

A sharp pain in his neck snapped him out of it, he shook his head back into reality, a headache shot through it, and he couldn't remember what had just happened. In front of him sat the empty box and the letter. Haze shrouded Harry's thoughts.

            "It's empty, strange, why would someone send me an empty box," He said absent-mindedly

            He picked up the letter again and unfolded it.

            "Time will tell, nothing amazingly strange about that, what a funny package,"

            He shook his head again feeling as if there was something he misplaced. Relief floated near the surface that at least the box hadn't had some deadly spell in it. But then again, he couldn't even remember opening the box. Harry shook his head.

            "So much for asking Hermione first, my hands must have opened it before I even realized what I was doing, oh well no harm done,"

            He lifted up the box and looked around for the letter. But nothing lay on the ground except his Hogwarts paper.

            "Hedwig, where'd you put my letter, I'm sorry I-"

            '_Wait a minute,_' he thought to himself '_what letter am I talking about, Hedwig didn't deliver anything but this box_'

            "Hedwig, why'd you bring me an empty box? You silly bird. Anyways, could you go pick up the letter for Hermione that's on my desk in my room? I need it delivered and you weren't here. I'd get it myself but I'm locked out for the day,"

            Hedwig rustled her feathers angrily but took off to deliver the letter anyways. In the corner of her eye she caught the flash of a metallic stone around Harry's neck.

Harry sighed and leaned back on the tree trunk he closed his eyes and let the shadows of the leaves above dance on his eyelids. His mind wandered to thoughts of the great hall decorated richly for holidays, his best friends Hermione and Ron, his godfather, and all his other great friends gathered around him. He dreamed until the sun was high in the sky and than a different thought rang through his mind and he grinned slyly. W_hy not_.

            _Hunt. Ravage. Kill. Something sparkled in the distance, a stone. A face leered through a broken mirror, dark set eyes glinting in amusement. A drop of blood transformed into a flower. Time and place spun in dizzy circles. A thrashing tug of awareness pierces through the bleak fog. Chaos._

Light penetrated Harry's eyelids and he groaned in protest. He felt dizzy and clenched his eyes tight to shield the rays. A fog had apparently rolled into his mind under sleeps cover. He sat still a moment breathing heavily focusing on thinking. His senses came flowing back to him slowly and he felt the cool sweat covering his body, his clothes stuck on the clammy skin. A crisp chill hung in the air and he shivered involuntarily which caused sharp agony to shoot through his veins. He raised a hand to his pounding forehead but quickly drew it back when he felt the searing pain the touch of his scar lanced through his body.

'_Did anybody catch the number of that truck_,' he thought without any emotion.

He felt something rough at the back of his neck.

'_Bark_,'

He opened one eye slightly letting the light flood in, in front of him stood the lawn he had sat down on earlier by the tree. He opened the other eye and craned his neck from side to side, it made an interesting popping noise and Harry bit his lip and wondered if he was even able to stand. He lipped his chapped lips and dry mouth and made a face at the strange taste.

'_Ugh, morning breath_,'

He shakily got to one knee and hoisted himself up using the old tree for support. He touched his forehead again to find it still unbearably hot and wrenched his hand back again. Accrediting his condition to sleeping on the hard ground he stumbled shakily a couple steps until he felt more confident about his bipedal instincts. His knees creaked and his muscles ached but he could move which in his mind was always a good sign.

He stretched his arms up and glanced around for the sun so he could gather a vague idea of what time it was. He was surprised to find the sun low in the sky it had been about 8:20am when he'd came but now it looked to be 3:00pm. He frowned and wished he had made better use of his time away from the Dursley's. He brushed himself off and started a slow pace towards home.

Ten minutes and a lot of groaning and aching later Harry arrived at the front doorstep of 4 Privet drive. The Dursleys had been so kind as to lug his school trunk and possessions out to the curb when Harry had been thrown out in the morning and an annoyed Hedwig was seen fluttering around the box and her locked cage grunting. She glared at Harry as he stumbled up as if he had sentenced her to. Harry groaned and squinted at the small suburban house his eyebrows furrowed and mouth twisted in a scowl.

"How perfectly splendid, it's a wonder I'm not dead yet they're so very _caring_, great stroppy sods!" he muttered through clenched teeth

He walked over and picked up Hedwig's empty cage and placed it on the top of the Trunk. Then straining against his aching muscles he hooked his fingers into the moulded plastic handle on his trunk and heaved it off of the road and up the curb. Following the groove that had been ploughed into the lawn earlier that morning he dragged the large box slowly up towards the house. He stopped halfway and rolled his shoulders, arching his neck trying to relieve the stiffness. Placing one hand on the trunk he eased himself into a sitting position panting heavily.

"Stupid giant heavy trunk, full of stupid heavy magic stuff," Harry was always a bit grumpy after sleeping. He assumed he had a perfect excuse to whine, being woken up to find several – hundred, roots lodged into his spin. "I have a lot of reason to whine, I have all these responsibilities; "Harry! Make the bacon!" "Harry! Mow the lawn!" "Harry defeat the Dark Lord!"" he muttered angrily.

He sighed and rolled his eyes at his childish behaviour. Somehow, something felt off, other than the blood roaring in his ears, which he was studiously ignoring.  Hedwig gave him a quizzical owl look before hooting showing that she didn't approve of this behaviour. '_Less playing, more dragging_' Harry opened his eyes and sighed placing the worries back on his shoulders and stood up.

"Alright Hedwig, let's get going,"

She hooted happily and circled overhead before gliding into Harry's open window. Harry's window had been open all summer, he had been arguing with Uncle Vernon about whether or not Hedwig should have unlimited entry when Uncle Vernon had thrown one of Dudley's old toy cars right out.  Instead of fixing the window he decided it appealed to him more to let Harry freeze and had casually said 'I agree, your – beast- needs air," and left the room chuckling to himself. Harry had gone the extra mile and removed the frame from the window leaving it bare. Thankfully he had a sheet of magical mosquito netting from Hagrid's – interesting, Care of Magical Creatures class. He had put it up in the window frame to keep bugs out but it turned invisible when in use and Hedwig could fly right through it. Thankfully it had been a warm summer and Vernon hadn't gotten the chance to enjoy his chilling revenge.

These thoughts made another rise up in Harry's head '_Why do I even put up with this anymore_' Dumbledore's request still held number one in his mind but he was running out of patience. Pushing the thoughts aside he continued dragging the case up to the front doorstep. He was breathing heavily by the time he had made it to the steps and a fine sheen of sweat laced his body. He cursed and wished again that he could use magic; he could have had the trunk up in his room ten minutes ago had he been able to. He climbed the first step and reached down grabbing the trunk and pulling hard to get it up the step. A stone around his neck flashed brilliantly.

His muscles echoed protests somewhere in the back of his mind as he pulled but a white light had surfaced in Harry's eyes blinding him. He dropped the trunk and sat with a hard thud and closed his eyes waiting for the spinning to stop. He had the sudden urge to throw up as his body rejected his summon to lift the heavy trunk. Harry realized for the first time just how tired he was. Everything throbbed dully, probably a reaction from over exertion after having no food the whole day. He stood in a daze and wobbled a bit before bracing himself with a hand on the trunk in front of him. His skin felt prickly and cold and hot at the same time. '_Something is wrong here_' Harry thought vaguely.

He wrestled with his sleeve and pulled it up to his elbow than he leaned over unlatching the trunk retrieving his wand from the top. He managed to mutter a banishment spell sending the trunk and Hedwig's cage flying up to his room before the world went dark and the ground rose up soundlessly and he fell into unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

"Dumbledore! Thank goodness you're here, where's Harry, is he going to be okay!" A ruffled, flustered looking Sirius had come running into the room, white in the face and his robe twisted backwards with the tag sticking out at the front. Dumbledore smiled with a twinkle in his dark eyes.

"Look for yourself Sirius." He stepped back and gestured with a graceful sweep of his arm to the hospital bed previously hidden behind curtains. "Though, might I add, you shouldn't have come here my friend. This castle, I am ashamed to say, can no longer protect you," Sirius appeared not to have heard this and if he had ignored it and walked briskly over to the bed and sighed happily. He ran a hand through his dark short crisp cut hair and grinned.

"Oh, thank Merlin, when I got that owl it gave me quite a shock. I'm so relieved," He touched a hand to Harry's cheek and smiled. "-He _is_ going to be okay isn't he?"

"Of course he is, he is only suffering from a case of over exertion,"

"What on earth was Harry doing that was so strenuous he felt the need to violate school rules and than drop over unconscious," Sirius mused, mostly to himself.

"Lifting boxes I suppose," Dumbledore said wistfully raising a bushy eyebrow.

"I heard, but don't you think it's –," Sirius turned to face the headmaster and pose his question but found nothing but the clean infirmary walls. "He must be _really_ bored seeing as how he finds all this time to act mysterious and sneak around, honestly," But he only thought about it for a while before turning back to Harry and after a few minutes he heard voices from out in the hall.

"Tell me again why you're pesky flea ridden hide is stalking me around the castle?" An icy voice bellowed.

"I don't trust you with Harry Severus, what _exactly_ is in that flask!"

'_Severus!?_' Sirius thought, a mixed look of disgust and amazement apparent on his face as he recognized the voices speaking. '_Since when does he call him Severus_,'

"It's to help him to – recover," the icy voice resumed.

"-What's _that_ supposed to mean! If you dare – oof-" The two voices had reached the doorway "Sirius!" an excited Lupin exclaimed from his sudden position on the floor.

Snape had glided into the infirmary and stopped abruptly a glare frozen on his ridged face and behind him Lupin had promptly walked right into his back. Lupin now was sitting on hand and knee peering around Snape' knees with a bright smile on his lips. Sirius brightened considerably at the sight of Lupin and his eyes misted over momentarily.

"Sirius- indeed," Snape growled through his teeth snapping Sirius' attention to the crook nosed professor. "What are you doing here Black, out in the open? Anyone in this castle could report you. Hell, I have half a mind to myself,"

Lupin stood up from his position on the ground, oblivious to Snape' hostility and brushed himself off walking over to his friend patting him on the back. Snape grimaced and buried his face in his hands with an annoyed grunt.

"I thought you said you were going to come a bit later?" Lupin asked. "Clear up that business you had sooner than expected did you?" he winked knowingly, nudged Sirius and then smiled again.

Sirius raised an eyebrowlooked pointedly towards Harry and back. Snape groaned and moved his hands to his forehead and held his temples gently massaging them.

"I just gave him a potion, he gets this way sometimes," He waved his hand dismissively. "Now both of you dullards get out of my way or, if I were you, I wouldn't eat or drink anything for a few – decades,"

Distracted from his concern for Lupin, Sirius looked at Harry doubtfully but then stepped back to let Snape administer the potion. Snape swooped down and ladled the potion out of the vial He sprinkled a small amount of a dust-like substance from another container and the potion instantly became denser. He lifted Harry's pajama top and placed the potion on the boy's chest then rolled back his sleeves grimacing. Sirius grinned in amusement at Snape' obvious discomfort and looked towards Lupin so that they could team up and make some cutting remark. Lupin however had given up on the whole situation and was staring with a cocked head at an enchanted Viktor Krum figurine that had been confiscated and was marching across one of the shelves along the wall. Lupin was trying to imitate its trademark scowl.

"What - exactly is in that potion you gave Remus?" He asked Snape, turning just in time to see him finish rolling Harry's shirt back down. Snape smiled, or he smiled as close as he got to a smile which was somewhere between a smirk and a grimace.

"It's just a migraine relief mixture, very simple really, but it included wolfsbane, so I – improvised,"

"Snape!" Sirius exclaimed, torn between amusement and standing up for his good friend.

"You don't hear him complaining about a headache do you?" Snape raised a menacing eyebrow.

They looked over at Lupin who had managed to capture the tiny Krum in his hands and had it lying on his back while he poked at it. Krum's scowl was darker than ever and his mouth moved rapidly in silent protest. Snape grinned satisfied with his work and left the room before Sirius could say any more. Lupin, seeing him leave tore off after him with a playful look of alarm on his face.

Sirius watched Lupin leave with a mopey pout on his face. '_Not even so much as a hello_,' he sighed and coached himself that he couldn't blame Lupin for his altered – state and pushed away his flaring jealousy. He looked back at Harry and brushed a strand from his grandson's eyes feeling Harry's placid breathing against his palm. He smiled and than melted away in a shimmer to reveal a large black dog which jumped onto the chair by Harry's bed and curled up watching Harry intently before finally drifting off to sleep.

The Dark Lord was _not_ in a good mood. He stood in a large dark room lit only by one candle flickering in and out, perched precariously upon a snake curling up a column that served as a table. The damp walls were slimy with mould and the whole room stunk of rot and blood. Voldemort blended well with the walls wearing his pitch cloak. His hideous face was just barely viewable it's pale scaly skin glinting in the firelight. He began to speak pronouncing each word with an ugly precise sting.

"Lucius- I have a puzzle for you, how many times does it take to teach a contaminated defilement such as yourself to follow a simple rule. See, I find it _extremely_ puzzling that this uncleanly, unkempt putrefaction doesn't learn on its first try.

"Lucius, I will have you know you are very replaceable, you may think I need you and your incessant failure the way I put up with it. I do not. Your money will not save you in this situation Lucius; you want to know why I keep you around? Because I _can_, I have the power. I am sure you think of escaping yes? But you know you cannot, deep down in your filthy marrow. You know it gives me pleasure to see such a cocky, arrogant man as yourself crumble at my feet.

"If I were to kill you Lucius, do you know what I would do? You think your meager crucio curse is painful? I myself prefer the muggle techniques, slow and painful… and gruesome. Muggles at least proved to be good at one thing, destroying their own kind. You do not know you say? Well I will tell you; I would pull off your toe and fingernails one by one, snap your tendons, break each and every one your bones – twice, holding you on the cuff of death skinning you slowly alive, draining your blood painful drop by painful drop. And you know what I would do than Lucius? I would bring you back from the brink and do it over hundreds of times more.

"Yes Lucius, you see don't you? And that is only the beginning of what I can achieve and I would never tire, that is all that is keeping me from killing you Lucius. I have more pressing plans and more important people to slay, _so_ many more people. If I were to start my torture with you it would take centuries too long and I don't have that kind of time to waste on maggoty carrion such as yourself. I tend to lose myself in my work, my art. Therefore, I wait, and once my more pressing – business – is out of the way I will deal with you. You had best stay in line, because I would hate to lose the chance to savor your death and have to kill you off so roughly as I might in a rage.

"Ah, I see that look in your eyes, but trust me Lucius, it would not be better for you to be killed in my rage, I have my ways and you would never escape the unending suffering you would than feel. You'd best be a good little boy and stay on my _good_ side,"

He paused and contorted his face into a shadow of a smile. 

"Let this be a reminder for you my dear Lucius, lest we forget."

Voldemort turned and walked from the room into the dimly lit hallway smiling with his thin snake-like features. Lucius' damp eyes at that moment rolled back in his head exposing the bloodshot underbelly. His body racked in another spasm from its spot of the dank stone ground. Slash marks stained his fair white skin, filling the rank dungeon with the coppery smell of blood and his wrists were bruised a dark black from hanging in rusty shackles.

The Dark Lord had been kind to his minion; if he were ever defied again he would not be so soft.  
  


Harry rolled mumbling in his sleep when Hermione stepped into the infirmary. She carried a stack of books and even more held under her elbow. She looked over top of the books at Harry before setting them down by the over-stuffed chair next to his cot. She sighed and settled down into the chair picking up one of the large leather-bound books off the top of the stack and opened to the first page.

Ron and Hermione had been informed of Harry's situation and had both immediately insisted that they be allowed to come to Hogwarts. Under the circumstances it was allowed and they came with their trunks and were staying In Gryffindor tower occasionally coming to sit with Harry in case he woke up. What had seemed a minor case of over-exhaustion had turned out to be something else because Harry had been out for two days now. Dumbledore was still insisting it was minor but the rest of the castle seemed unsure. Harry at least seemed peaceful enough in his sleep, looking just like he was having a nice short nap.

Hermione at the moment had her nose in one of the books that had been listed on this years shopping list for Hogwarts which she had already read two times. "You can never be too prepared," she had said to Ron when he had dropped open his jaw.

"You know dear, you don't have to be here every second," came a kind slightly annoyed voice. Madame Pomfrey had entered the room without Hermione noticing.

"No, I know, I just like being with Harry. I'd hate to think of him being alone when he woke up. I know he'd do the same for me," She said looking over her book and smiling. Madame Pomfrey tutted and smiled back.

"Not even the beginning of the school year and already you three are in trouble," she teased. "You're going to cause me a lot of trouble this year, I can tell!"

Hermione grinned and Madame Pomfrey left her to her reading, going into her office. Hermione sat reading in silence for a few hours, looking up periodically when Harry rolled over in his sleep. She was finally disturbed from her quiet when Snape came into the white walled room and strode over to the cot Harry lay on.

"Granger," he said in way of greeting.

Hermione nodded in acknowledgement and started to gather her things to leave.

"Don't bother, I won't be here long, I've just come to give Harry his potion."

The potion was to prevent Harry's muscles from seizing up from disuse and the aroma it gave off was supposed to give him energy. It wasn't a conventional potion; it was almost considered a wives tale remedy but Snape had insisted it was the best thing for him.

Snape pulled out the vial he had used every ten hours since Harry had come in and grimaced. Dumbledore had insisted that he was the best candidate to administer the potion when he had complained that Sirius – or anyone - would be a better choice. 'What on earth have I done to _him_ to deserve _this_,' he thought to himself as he ladled out a portion and sprinkled the substance on. He looked down at Harry to see Hermione was looking up at him expectantly holding up Harry's shirt.

"Why are you here Granger, don't you have anything better to do with your time than sit around looking after this unconscious boy?" he snapped.

"I-I, no Professor, there's nothing I would rather do than see that Harry is alright." She faltered at the beginning but strongly stated her opinion to her elder.

"He's only here because he used up too much energy and than decided he was going to go lift heavy objects. So much for heroic Mr. Harry Potter," he smirked looking directly into Hermione's dark chocolate colored eyes.

"That's not true!" Hermione said raising her voice before catching herself and looking at the ground. "There's got o be more to it than that," she muttered quietly.

Snape made an amused noise and ladled the potion onto Harry's chest. He motioned for Hermione to rub it in with a flick of his chin and he remained standing and watched as she rubbed the cream in. She finished quickly scowling, feeling Snape's harsh gaze on her back and rolled down Harry's pajama top. Snape, finished his job, turned to leave.

"You know," Hermione said loudly to his back. Snape stopped and turned around an eyebrow arched quizzically. "I've always wondered why you were so jealous of Harry," Snape' mouth twitched into an amused snide smile.

"Jealous?" he cut Hermione off. "Do you realize who you are talking to? I am _not_ and never will be jealous of this – this – student," he finished realizing what might happen If he admitted out loud his opinion of the boy.

"I think you are," Hermione said quietly but full of her need to express her opinion. "You hate him and his father so much because they have kind hearts and make friends easily," She stated quickly and strongly.

"YOU," he bellowed, his cheeks turning pink in anger making Hermione cringe back, "Need to learn respect for your professors. You have no idea what you're talking about! You should keep your _big_ nose out of other people's business," He stormed out of the room leaving a shocked Hermione.

Tears appeared in her eyes for a reason Hermione couldn't define at the moment. She bit her lip wishing she hadn't said anything at all. What would this look like on her perfect record with her professors? She had actually spoken back to one of them! And of all people it had to be Snape. She didn't notice that behind her Harry was stirring and his eyelids were flickering open and closed, his eyelashes flicking against his cheek.

"I smell Snape," He said amidst a groggy half-yawn.

"Harry!" Hermione jumped at his exclamation and came to his side.

"You're crying," Harry's eyebrows knitted quizzically and he lifted an arm brushing away a tear clinging to Hermione's cheek.

"It's nothing," She grabbed Harry's hand holding it by the edge of the bed. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I feel fine," He lifted his head and looked around. "What am I doing in the infirmary? What are you doing here? What's going on?"

"I-" Hermione began.

"Harry, our patients awake, finally, welcome back." Madame Pomfrey, alerted to the shouting Snape had been doing, had come out of her office to check.

She lifted a hand containing her wand apparently to signal that Harry had indeed just woken up because moments later Lupin came rushing in, Snuffles, a step behind, dematerialized and appeared again in his human form. Sirius smiled warmly when he saw Harry's eyes open and slowed to a walk approaching his godson.

"Sirius? What are you doing here?" Harry sat up and Hermione handed him his glasses, which he perched immediately upon his nose. "_What _is going on here?"

"Don't you remember? To be honest we aren't entirely sure what happened to you,"

"Vaguely…" Harry muttered getting a faraway look. Everyone looked at him expectantly as Harry blinked in surprise.

"Alright, all of you out! This isn't a zoo, that's enough gawking. You know you aren't allowed to pester the patient!" Madame Pomfrey strode over leading Sirius protesting away from the bed.

"No, it's all right I feel fine," Harry said swinging his feet over the edge of the bed. Madame Pomfrey's eyes widened in horror and she rushed over pushing Harry's feet back onto the cot.

"Oh no you don't! Not until I get a good look at you. Now, all of you out, I'll send him out when he's feeling better,"

A chorus of excuses rang out but in the end Madame Pomfrey won and they were all hassled out of the room leaving Harry sitting alone.

"Oh no!" Harry said suddenly. "I did magic, I'm not ex-expelled am I?"

"Tut, tut, far from it my dear. Now lay back while I have a look at you,"

"I-"

Madame Pomfrey sent him a glare and he gulped lying back down amidst the white fluffy sheets.

Harry pulled his robes over his school clothes before throwing his pajama top rather roughly at Ron's sleeping form in the bed beside him. Ron made an annoyed hiccupping snore and rolled over in bed covering his head with the thick burgundy cover. Harry rolled his eyes and looked around for something harder to throw.

"Oy! Git! Wake up! We've got a lot of work to do," He shouted throwing his sneakoscope in its sock casing making a direct hit on Ron's head. Having no effect and a lack of things to throw Harry strode over to the bed and pushed Ron off onto the ground in a tangle of golden sheets. Ron made a sleepy grunting noise as his eyes jerked open and he rolled over tangling himself hopelessly and smacked his lips.

"Today's the big day," Harry said cheerfully while Ron yawned and tried to wrestle an arm out of his blankets to cover his yawn. "Can't wait to see Seamus and Neville and – well everyone!"

"Would you shut up, you have _far _to much enthusiasm for such an early hour," Ron mumbled rolling over and closing his eyes.

"Ron!" Harry grumbled. He lifted a corner of Ron's blankets and lifted them leaving Ron lying covered only in his boxers on the floor. Ron groaned in annoyance and stood up shakily and sat on his bed itching his tangled red hair.

"Alright, I'm up then, I'm up," he muttered. "Why on earth couldn't you go be all frilly with Hermione? I'm sure she wouldn't mind getting up at un-godly hours of the morning with you to get all excited about school."

"Actually Ron," Hermione said revealing herself to Ron from the doorway of the boy's dorm. "We've been there and done that and decided it would be splendid if you would come and be 'frilly' with us,"

Ron looked sleepily up at the doorframe and took a moment before he blushed to his ears in his state of undress. Hermione just rolled her eyes and pushed off the doorframe and left down the staircase.

"Hurry up Harry, we promised Professor McGonagall we'd go get the sorting hat from storage before the staircase changes," she called from the bottom of the steps in the common room.

"Right 'Mione," Harry grabbed Ron's shoulder and pushed him off into the washroom adjoined to their dorm and gave him instructions to get ready quickly and meet them downstairs.

A week had passed since Harry had awoken in the infirmary and Madame Pomfrey, finding nothing wrong with him, had let him out immediately. For a while they all puzzled over what had happened to Harry (in which Hermione went through a phase where she relentlessly pestered Harry about opening the box and than directly disobeying her orders not to use Hedwig) but eventually everyone decided since there was no long-term effects he had just tried to stretch his energy too far. Harry, Ron and Hermione had stayed in the huge school helping prepare for the new year.

Harry left the dormitory and went down the stairs quickly. The stairs were enchanted to skip all the floors but your destination, an incredibly useful charm as Harry's dorm was now on the fifth floor. The other floors could still be attained but you had to tell the staircase of your wishes before you climbed them to get to the correct floor. By default the stairs connect right to your level without having to do a thing.

Harry reached the bottom and found Hermione waiting patiently at the bottom. She smiled but being in a hurry she turned and left for the portrait hole with Harry following.

"The staircase is only connected to this storage room once a day, we have to be there before that," she stated as if she were revealing something new to Harry.

"I know Hermione, don't worry we have plenty of time."

"I'm just making sure. I'm so excited, the first day of classes. It feels funny being here before everyone else. Are you proud of yourself Harry, you've found another new and exciting way to arrive at school," she teased.

"What? Unconscious in a stretcher, I don't think I like that way very much,"

They continued on chatting amiably as they navigated the many twisty halls, avoiding the trick steps and doors that came second nature to them. Harry, knowing the school better than Hermione, thanks to a certain map, led the way down several hidden passageways hidden behind suits of armor and potted plants. Finally they reached the stairway that led to the storage room containing the Sorting Hat.

"Do you know why Dumbledore had the Sorting hat moved to this storage room?" Harry asked as they walked up the steps.

"He said that the hat needed more piece and quiet to think up its song. What with all the ruckus you've been causing in the school lately," Hermione said smiling.

Harry smiled back, admitting it made sense, and reached the door first of the two he brought his wand out, tapping the door handle once.

"Toasted toads,"

The door swung open with a loud creak to reveal a musty, dark looking room resembling that of an old muggle attic. Shelves stood off to the sides layered thickly in dust. Boxes and trunks littered throughout the room. They looked like they hadn't been opened for years. A single cracked light bulb hung from a string in the middle of the room. Harry stepped in and looked around.

            "How are we supposed to find it in this mess?"

"You don't think Dumbledore would have packed it away do you? It must be out in the open somewhere,"

"I'm over here child," a muffled voice called. Harry jumped at first but than blushed remembering that the hat could speak and he went in the direction of the voice while Hermione went over to the light bulb and pulled the string trying to turn it on.

"Oh silly me, There's no electricity in the castle. I wonder what this light is doing here, that's strange. Lumos," at the last word her wand lit up and the room was suddenly dimly lit. Harry blinked away dots as he came to the corner and straddled a box reaching onto a table grabbing the hat from under a faded newspaper.

"Oh thank goodness you children are hear!" the hat gasped. "That paper fell on me sometime last June and I thought I was a goner. It was quite distracting. I'm afraid this years song may be a little bit strained,"

"That's nice," Harry said, distracted as he navigated his way out of the corner and through the twisty maze of boxes.

"Would you like to hear it?"

"No, that's quite alright," Harry replied.

Apparently though the hat didn't hear him because it started singing at the top of its voice. The sound was deafening in contrast to the silence that Harry had experienced on his way up and he quickly threw a hand over the hat's brim to silence it.

"Do you want to wake the whole school? I for one don't want to see Professor Snape grumpy so early in the morning!"

"So sorry," the hat said meekly, looking as ashamed as a hat can look. "I just don't get a lot of company up here, and well – you know, no one wants to spend a lot of time talking to inanimate objects. Well there _was_ Millie, but they took her far, far away…"

Harry raised an eyebrow and hoped to Merlin that he wasn't going to have to sympathize with a hat about its social problems.

"Harry, come look at this,"

Harry looked up and found Hermione poking around through the boxes near the corner at the door. She pulled out something that from the back had a wooden frame and a white center. Hermione's expression looked shocked over the top of the painting and Harry went to her side to see what it was. What he saw made him drop the Sorting Hat. It fell landing on the dusty floor sending out waves of it flying through the air. The hat protested but the words seemed as if said from deep under water as Harry stood transfixed by the painting, for that was what it was. He pushed his glasses farther up his nose and blinked a few times.

In the frame was three boys each looking to be around the age of 17. They were clustered around together in a profile shot. The boy to the far left had rough short black hair and mischievous looking eyes. His irises were a very deep brown having the effect of almost blending with his pupils. The one next to him was slightly shorter and had light brown honey colored hair that haloed his face in a short, cropped cut. Brilliant pale yellow eyes gleamed out of the painting, the kind of eyes that you could never lie to but withheld secrets in their depths. Beside him was a tall, dark haired young man with a pair of glasses perched upon his flat-bridged nose. His black unruly hair stuck out in the most in-opportune places but it somehow managed to give him a charming handsome look. His deep blue-green eyes glistened with his smile with laugh creases at the edges. At the bottom of the frame was a gold tag embedded in the styled wood, which read, 'The Marauders'.

"That's- It's- my Dad and-and Sirius and Professor Lupin," Harry stuttered after a long period of silence. He sucked in a breath. "What's this doing here?"

"-I don't know…" Hermione said finally. A moment of silence ensued and Hermione, seeming out of place in the scenario, glanced at her watch, which she had painstakingly charmed to tell time within the Hogwarts grounds. "-Oh! Harry! We have to go! The staircase is going to change any minute now and we'll be trapped all day if we don't go! I'm sorry, we'll take it with us,"

"Alright," Harry said in a daze, still a bit miffed. He had never seen a picture of his father when he was young and the resemblance astounded him. It was like looking in a mirror. He only took his eyes away from the captivating gaze when Hermione moved, bending to pick up the sorting hat, and tilted the painting away from Harry's view.

The walk back down to the main hall was a silent one, Harry lost in thought and Hermione keeping quiet leaving him to them. Hermione led with Harry walking slowly behind lost in thought, this meant that the walk took much longer than it had when Harry had been leading them through all the secret passageways.

Eventually they made it to the great hall and they strode in. The splendor of the hall had the effect of snapping Harry out of his daze and he looked around, admiring the brilliance the floating candles added to the room. The past week they had been eating in the Gryffindor common room, the great hall only being used for more formal occasions. Harry smiled and waved to Ron who was standing over by Professor Flitwick helping him put up the rest of the candles.

They walked over and after greeting Ron helped in the setting up of the hall. Soon Harry had forgotten almost entirely about the painting that Hermione had brought up to Harry's dorm propping it against his trunk. The day wore by quickly with the teachers employing Harry, Hermione and Ron to rush here and there and retrieve or help various things or people. Snape had mysteriously disappeared claiming to be bed-ridden but Harry suspected he had done it to avoid the social situation of working together to prepare for the evening.

"All right everyone," Dumbledore's voice rang out from the head table. "You have all done an excellent job and I'm very pleased that we had a few extra pairs of hands to help us this year," he glanced toward the three teenagers who were making there way up closer to the table where the teachers were gathering.

"I am so glad to welcome you all back this year, and of course just a plain welcome to Mr. Black and Mrs. Rown," Mrs. Rown, a small shy looking elder elf blushed as eyes turned her way. Harry had met her several days ago; she was taking over the Ancient Runes class since the old teacher had retired last year.

"As we don't have much time, I would suggest you all find your seats, and Harry, Hermione and Ron? If you would like you may go meet your classmates." He smiled warmly and then nodded his head to show he was finished and he sat down in his chair.

The air immediately buzzed with talk as the teachers went to their seats. Snape had apparently managed to sneak in while Harry wasn't looking because he already sat in his chair beside Dumbledore and, being Snape and having nothing better to do, he was glaring moodily at Harry.

Harry however didn't notice because he, Hermione and Ron had turned and started towards the doors to go meet everyone at the carriages. On their way out the door they witnessed a rabble of house elves carrying a trunk up the steps and Harry and Ron had to forcibly restrain Hermione as she made to go rescue the poor things.

"It makes me so angry," Hermione pouted as they walked across the springy grass in the dimming light of the evening.

"We've been over this before Hermione, they _like_ it this way," Harry said, exasperated and feeling a strange sense of Déjà vu.

"They only think that because that's all they know. Harry there's a whole other world out there,"

Harry went to say something but was cut off by Ron.

"Look, the carriages are arriving," He said excitedly pointing into the distance at what looked like dozens of black specs.

"Oh and look," Hermione said, forgetting her protest in the excitement, "It's the first years,"

Harry looked in the direction of the lake and saw even smaller specs of light.

"They haven't taken off yet," Harry said.

"Oh, hang on then, I think I can see Hagrid,"

Hermione dissolved in giggles as Harry rolled his eyes and after admiring the lake for a bit they turned their attention back to the rapidly approaching carriages.

"Did you know that those carriages were bewitched by Helga Hufflepuff herself when she was still alive? I think that's just marvelous, can you imagine, having something so useful stay around for as long as that,"

"Riveting," Ron said in a voice that seemed very much that he didn't think it riveting at all.

Hermione didn't notice though because the carriages had made it to the castle and were pulling up to unload one by one. The first one to pull up opened and Dean, Seamus and Neville stepped out, Neville looking a bit queasy from the ride.

"Harry!" Dean called out in a friendly tone as he walked up to the little group. "Good to see you,"

The next carriage contained Fred and George Weasley who were chatting amicably with Lee Jordan. Next to come were Lavender, Padma and Parvati, than an uncomfortable looking Ginny who had sat beside Colin and Dennis Creevey (who immediately started taking pictures when they saw Harry). Harry blushed furiously as Cho Chang stepped out of the carriage and smiled at him. What he thankfully didn't notice was that Malfoy and Crabbe also stepped out of the same carriage.

Soon after the rest of the students had arrived they formed groups and started walking up to the castle talking and catching up with all their schoolmates. They made there way to the Great Hall and sat down in their now familiar spots at the four tables. The chattering eased to silence as the doors opened and the first years came in lined up in nervous looking rows. Many of them gawked at their surroundings and whispered in amazement. Harry couldn't help feel proud that he had helped put up the decorations.

As he looked around he realized that the room was very sparse and gaping holes at each table showed there was a large lack of students. Hermione had told him about Dumbledore severing his ties to the ministry. Many students' parents had become concerned and had removed their children from the school in shock at what Dumbledore had announced. He had known this fact yet he hadn't thought this many people would go to such lengths to ignore the inevitable. He frowned but instead of dwelling on the subjects decided to immerse himself in the merriment and was soon chatting with Ron and Hermione again.

McGonagall placed the sorting hat on the stool and it sang its song, which, Harry decided, was just as good as any other year's song. He reasoned that the hat had outdone itself considering the unfortunate incident with the paper.

The first years settled down into their tables their aforementioned nervousness quelled to a dull roar. Harry smiled around at the full tables and realized to the full extent to which he missed the full school during the summer. '_Minus the Slytherins_' he mentally noted to himself as his gaze swept over Draco Malfoy who was sitting with an uncharacteristically glazed over look '_I didn't miss them_'. His musings were interrupted as Dumbledore stood up banging his knife against his glass.

"If I may have your attention – please. Yes that means you too Mr. Weasley," he said looking at Fred and George who had been busy whispering about the results of some of their pranks they had tested on the train-ride over.

"Yes, thank you. I'm pleased to welcome you all back to the school this year and I hope you all extend the warmest of welcomes to our new first years." This statement erupted a general murmur and a lot of blushing coming from the first years. Dumbledore held up a hand to silence them.

"I know you're all anxious to get to your food but this year there's a bit of a change in schedule and it seems our new prefects have not been chosen yet," This caused an excited talk to start as everyone speculated on who the new prefects would be. Dumbledore held up his hand again and started tapping his glass again commanding silence.

"So," Dumbledore spoke over the din, "Without further ado, Professor McGonagall would you do the honors," The tight faced woman stood and walked to the front of the high table pulling something gold and sparkling out of her pockets.

"Thank you, now, as you all no each year two prefects, male and female, are chosen from each house in year five for outstanding academic achievement or otherwise." At this George let out a loud snore and the room erupted in laughter. Thunder crossed McGonagall's face and she glared at the twins.

"Lisa Turpin and Terry Boot for Ravenclaw," she said eager to get the ceremony over with now. Applause broke out as the newest two prefects stood and made there way to the front where they received their badges.

"Tracey Davis and – Draco Malfoy for Slytherin," A shocked cry of alarm rang out and the complaints rang out over the applaud from the Slytherin table. 

"Quiet down!" Snape yelled suddenly over the crowd and the complaints turned to angry whispers amongst the three unhappy tables. Everyone was turned expectantly at the Slytherin table where Tracey Davis had stood up and was motioning frantically to Malfoy who was still staring off into space. Blaise Zabini finally had to resort to shaking Malfoy out of his daze and than whispering in his ear. Malfoy's face looked shock than he got a smug look about him and looked directly to Harry smirking.

"Ahem," McGonagall caught their attention again and Draco and Tracey walked up the high table and got their badges.

"Hermione Granger-," A loud applause went up from the Gryffindor table the origin mostly from Ron and Harry who knew how much this meant to Hermione. Hermione smiled brightly and stood, "and Dean Thomas for Gryffindor," McGonagall finished. Another cheer went up and the two went to the front of the room and received their badges.

"And finally," McGonagall finished. "Hannah Abbott and Anthony Goldstein," More applause rang out as they also went and collected their badges. McGonagall hurriedly went back up to the table and resumed her seat as Dumbledore stood up.

"One more thing, as you all know you are not allowed in the Forbidden Forest without supervision for any reason and once again Filch has informed me that you should look over the list of banned items. Dig in."

With that the tables filled magically much to the surprise and amusement of the first years who gasped in amazement. Harry gave Hermione a quick hug and sincerely congratulated her on her new position.

"As if there was any doubt," Ron said rolling his eyes and filling his plate with Spaghetti. He flashed Hermione a smile to show his congratulations though despite his words.

"I can't _believe_ they let that prick Malfoy be a prefect! He made our lives miserable enough before without him having privileges to take away house points!" Harry said suddenly as he glared across at Malfoy adorned with his sparkly new badge as he chatted with his fellow Slytherins.

"Well unfortunately he's top of the class," Hermione pointed out.

"Besides you 'Mione," Harry said smiling and Hermione blushed.

Draco's strange behavior hung in Harry's mind though as he piled food onto his plate. Draco _never_ missed an opportunity to gloat, what was he so spaced out about? Harry's thoughts were interrupted as he spied Colin Creevey chatting excitably to one of the new Gryffindors and waving a pointed finger in Harry's direction. Harry looked down and covered the side of his face with his hand and hoped to god Colin wouldn't pull out his photo album.


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner ended all too soon and Hermione and the rest of the others were instructed to guide their houses back to the dorms. The other prefects from 6th year had already gone with Professor McGonagall to receive the timetables they were to hand out tomorrow at breakfast. Harry had wandered off earlier to avoid Colin and mumbling something about going to read. The air was filled with chatter and the castle seemed brighter at having its children home.

"Gryffindor, please follow me," Hermione said loudly standing beside Dean and Ron who were yelling similar things to a few straggling first years.

Hermione, deciding that they had everyone's attention left the great hall and led them up the great marble staircase in the front hall smiling nostalgically at the astonished murmurings of the first years as they navigated through the various staircases and hallways.

"Watch that trick step there," she would stop to say, or something similar, occasionally. This warning seemed to do well because she only had to rescue one small boy who resembled Neville a great deal.

After an incident with a rather moody suit of armor and a temperamental changing staircase they arrived at the common room. The first year's eyes were already wide as dinner plates and were looking around quizzically at what seemed to be a dead end they had been led into.

"Hello dears," the pink lady said with a smile on her face and waving at them.

"Now than," Hermione said to the whispering crowd in front of her. "The password this month is 'grated lacewings',"

The hinged painting swung forward obliged by the password and the first years all muttered excitably. Hermione smiled as she heard some of the kids exclaim importantly that they knew about this from their siblings. She waited for their chatting to abate and she led them inside.

"Girls dormitories are up the stairs to the right, boys to the left. The stairs know where to take you so don't worry about not finding your rooms. Your trunks have already been brought up and are at the feet of your beds. You'll have free time until tomorrow when I'll lead you back down to the main hall where you'll receive your schedules. Any questions?"

No one raised any objections and they all looked eager to go check out their rooms so Hermione let them go and they slowly trickled away to their dorms, the less excitable ones with siblings filtering out last. Ron smiled at Hermione and left to help them get acquainted in their rooms.

"Oh Hermione, you're a lifesaver, I'm not one for public speaking," Dean said from beside her. Hermione smiled kindly back and assured him it was no problem. She looked around at the students crowded around in the common room and falling into the red squashy chairs around the fire, chatted a bit with Dean before saying she was going to go to bed.

"Say goodnight to Harry for me will you?"

"No problem, goodnight Hermione,"

Hermione walked up the stairs and entered her dorm which she shared with Parvati and Lavender the other fifth year Gryffindor girls. They were all laughing and talking to a background of a radio station someone had tuned their wands too. They were arranging their things and putting posters and pictures of young wizards who Hermione was assured were "positively swoonworthy" up on the walls. Hermione, who had decorated her portion of the round room long ago rolled her eyes at the girls and then went into the adjoining bathroom to take a nice warm shower.

Harry padded softly through the dark halls with his invisibility cloak wrapped around him. After leaving the table he had gone up to his room and retrieved his cloak and had been wandering around the school since. He didn't know what he was looking for but he soon found himself following Draco Malfoy. He had he stumbled across him in one of the dungeon hallways after hours. They had long ago passed the Slytherin dormitories and down into passageways Harry had never been to before seeing as this was enemy territory. He still didn't know quite what he was doing but that fact that Malfoy was up to something and was out of bed illegally fueled his nagging suspicions and he traipsed on.

Malfoy's light skin and hair seemed to glow in the dim light of the hallway so Harry had no trouble following him, his gait easily matching the blonde's long silky strides. He had the stance of one sure of himself and it only aggravated Harry further every time he was near him. Somewhere in the deep, deep recesses of Harry's mind dwelled the fact that he was jealous and the realization that Malfoy was indeed as formidable as his act portrayed. But that was locked somewhere deep, deep inside in a very ugly place that Harry had no intention to look, _ever_.

He resented Malfoy, his snide attitude towards anyone he deemed not worthy. What was he playing at? The boy needed a good smack in the face was what. Harry itched to be the one to deliver the good solid blow of reality but he knew somehow that it would take much, much more than that to throw Malfoy off his high horse. He knew little about the Malfoy family but what he did understand was that pureblood pride was ingrained deep in their minds. He grimaced just thinking about it.

Eventually Malfoy started looking behind him more frequently and Harry found he had to pay more attention so pushed away his malicious thoughts. He would stop suddenly and hold his breath afraid he had been found out every time Draco whipped around, his silver eyes searching seemingly every inch of ground behind him. It was eerie to have someone look right through you he decided the fifth time Draco turned suddenly in several minutes. He stopped longer this time with a calm but suspicious look on his face. Looking directly at Harry. Harry let out his breath slowly and as soundlessly as he could. Draco brushed a lock of silver blonde hair behind his ear and squinted angrily and than came walking suddenly at him. Harry quickly sidestepped falling against the wall repressing a laugh as his heart rapped painfully against his chest in fear of discover. Draco's eternally calm façade disappeared as he swept his hands out in random directions and it was immeasurably humorous.

"I know you're there, I've heard you following me all this way. Reveal yourself," He announced in a formal tone, Harry scrunched his face at this and wondered who on earth might have the interest to follow Draco that he wouldn't use his usual snappy drawl. Malfoy stood silent after he spoke and his ears perked as he listened intently. Suddenly his form lunged in Harry's direction and he jumped. Narrowly escaping, but not before Malfoy's hand brushed against the shimmery material of his cloak creating a flux in the air. Malfoy's eyes widened as he caught the flash and he lashed out with more fervor narrowly missing Harry every time. 

Harry had to give it to Malfoy, he didn't miss a beat, he was hot on Harry's tail every step. Harry realized he was making a lot of noise now, jumping here and there and heavy breathing and decided to risk just plain sprinting away with his remaining energy. He jumped out of the way as Malfoy lunged at him and in the time it took him to recover Harry dashed down the hallway as fast as he could. What he didn't notice was that in his hurry and the darkness his glasses had slipped off his nose from all the jumping he'd been doing and crashed to the floor sending a crack writhing up the glass.

Malfoy, hearing the pounding footsteps receding around the corner turned to go after it but he hadn't gone far before he found a pair of black rimmed oval glasses, with his eyes that were adept to seeing in the dark. He gritted his teeth as he picked them up when he vaguely recognized them and then turned his lips up into a sly grin.

"Potter," he muttered clutching the glasses painfully hard in his hand before turning the way he was heading before and continuing down the dark hallway with a smirk on his lips and a spark in his platinum eyes. A lock of his hair fell down around his eyes again and he brushed it back instinctively. Over the summer he had given up on his slicked back look deciding it 'just didn't work' for him. The result had been a short cut with slight bangs and it all fell naturally framing his soft, angled face. The effect had been stunning and he found it served his purposes much better than his old look had. But then of course he wouldn't be a Malfoy without his Veela-like flaxen silver hair. He knew he was gorgeous and flaunted it like he had been taught to do.

'You're cut from the Malfoy mould' his father used to say in his occasional light-hearted drunken father-to-son talks, the only time Draco was ever summoned other than for reprimanding or his rigorous Malfoy family 'training'. Most of his childhood was a monotonous blend of being looked after by the house elves or various nannies. He went through a lot of nannies; it was hard to live in the Malfoy house for very long without 'learning too much'… His mother was usually around but his father was sure to keep her quiet most of the time by indulging in her muggle drug addiction. 'You will be proud and act like it' he'd say in his 'talks'.  Draco grew up hearing the words and to say the least – it did wonders for his self-esteem.

Despite all this Draco had a great respect for his father, so menacing, so in command. He didn't know any different and he figured all families unlike his were weak. This is the way he had been taught. The only doubt he'd ever had in his mind about his father is why such a powerful man bowed down to a defeated, decrepit old dark wizard. Even _Potter could take care of him. It's not that he didn't agree with the Dark Lord's ideals, he just didn't see how someone so un-human such as him should be the ones to lead him. It was the only time he ever saw fear in his father's eyes. Wild unbridled fear that took over his father's whole persona. It disgusted Draco who had always looked at Voldemort as some trivial power seeker. Malfoy's aren't afraid of anything._

As he walked the hallway turned into more of a tunnel and it got darker and darker until he reached a dead end.

"Funo porta voca," he said and the grimy dirt encrusted wall folded back revealing a dark room.

"Lumos," he said holding up his wand.

"Draco," a deep raspy voice said in way of greeting.

"Where's my father?"

"He – couldn't _make it," the speaker's lips curled into what seemed close to a menacing smile. _

Draco raised an eyebrow at the figure standing in the middle of the barren stone square room, a tall creature with scaly skin and sinister eyes wrapped in a pitch black cloak. Voldemort himself was standing in a room far below the Hogwarts castle.

Harry rushed into the Dorm closing the door behind him and collapsing with his back propped up against the door. He was breathing heavily and sweating profusely and he soon realized he couldn't see properly. He swore colorfully and thumped his fist to the ground. He had been caught. His heart beat wildly from the close escape. He shut his eyes hard and gritted his teeth, reprimanding himself for losing his glasses.

Besides that he's had to abandon his purpose and hadn't been able to follow Malfoy. What could he be doing so late at night down in the dungeon hallways far below the castle? Harry admitted to himself he'd never been past the Slytherin common room in the dungeons and had no idea what was down that pathway. Malfoy might have been going to the baths, the Slytherins _were_ a bit loony, Harry wouldn't put it past them to have their bathrooms miles away from the common room. He got up and pulled off his invisibility cloak and walked over to his bed, suddenly aware of Ron's eyes on his back. He sat on his bed and looked over at his friend.

"Where were you?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged before speaking, "Tailing Malfoy in dark hallways in the pit of the school and narrowly escaping capture and certain death at the mercy of my arch rival,"

"So the usual?"

"Pretty much,"

Harry grinned as Ron smiled sleepily. Harry looked off at the ceiling, which was blurry and dark before his eyes.

"What was he up to?" Ron continued.

"What was who up too?"

"Malfoy!" Ron raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, him, I don't know. Like I said I had to escape, he heard me,"

"Where are your glasses?"

Harry hesitated and bit his lip. Ron could tell even while half asleep in a dark room that Harry wasn't wearing glasses.

"I- I've decided to stop wearing them," He was grateful for the darkness as Harry was a horrible liar and he was flushing and looking down at the ground.

"Oh all right," Ron said with a yawn. He turned over and shortly after Harry heard snoring coming from his friend's bed. Harry smiled distractedly at his friend's short attention span before flopping back against his pillow fully clothed sighing. Maybe Malfoy wouldn't recognize the glasses at all. Harry scoffed at his own idealistic thinking. He knew Draco wouldn't forget. He knew that the blonde's dreams were plagued as were his. Every night he'd see the boy in his dreams, smirking at him, no matter what the context, though he always felt the presence strongest when Voldemort was - Harry repressed a shudder and pushed those thoughts from his mind. No, there was no way Draco would forget. Harry, despite his pondering, soon found himself fighting to keep his eyes open but it was a losing battle as he drifted off into a nightmarish sleep.

Draco cried out in his sleep and rolled over with a moan before tossing to the side with another discontented groan. Sweat covered him in beads, his hair and silky pajamas plastered to his alabaster skin. His legs were wrapped hopelessly in his smooth sheets and his blanket lay forgotten on the stone ground. He tossed several more times before yelling out loudly and throwing his left arm up in the air, clutching it so tightly that his nails dug in drawing blood and making pale white circles around the impact. His eyes suddenly shot open and he sat up abruptly breathing heavily.

His chest heaved up and down as his eyes flicked disconcertingly around the room watching every shadow and form around him. The blood dripped off his fingers trickling down his arm and he looked down wide-eyed at his arm and slowly released his wound. He wiped the blood away with the assailing hand searching underneath for the mark that plagued his dreams so often these past nights. Finding nothing he fell back in exhaustion on his pillow. Staring unblinkingly up at the worn stone ceiling clutching his arm to his side and gasping for breath.

He swallowed and closed his eyes briefly his heaving breathing abating slowly. He felt his heart beating fast against his arm crossed over his chest and he became very aware of the pounding sound of his blood beating through him. He turned on his side ignoring the crimson blood smeared across his sheets as he did so. Images from his nightmare flashed before his eyes and he grit his teeth closing his eyes as he dug his fingers into his arm again causing more blood to run down and drip off his elbow. He focused on the dull ache of his arm and brought himself out of his mind quelling the visions. Once again his pulse slowed and he relaxed his grip on his arm. He sat up leaning against his bruised arm and raised his free hand to his face brushing his hair out of his wide bloodshot eyes, leaving a streak of crimson in his luminescent locks. 

Draco, who had finally collected himself, reached beside his bed for the water jug and poured it with a shaky hand before taking a tentative sip. He sighed and finished off the cup of water bringing moisture back to his mouth. He glanced around and for the first time noticed the blood smeared over everywhere he'd touch and the drops around his arm. He sighed and placed the cup back on the stand beside his bed.

The sparsely decorated room was barely in view in the dim light. It was a small room containing only a table and chair, an elegant green velvet canopy bed and a side table. Draco's school trunk stood at the foot of his bed and a worn oval green carpet in the centre of the bar floor. Unlike the Gryffindors common room there were enough rooms in the damp dungeons to give each student their own small room. The Slytherins weren't very social creatures anyways so it was probably for the best.

Draco turned his attention back to his predicament,

'_They've never been that strong before,' he thought to himself his eyes widening just with the vague recollection of his dream. '__At least that blasted Potter wasn't there this time laughing at me,'_

He got up and stumbled to the adjoining bathroom and looked in the mirror. He ran his bloodied hands and arm under the water and surveyed himself in the mirror. His eyes had deep gray bags under them and were devoid of their usual sparkling charm. His hair was tousled and bloody and when he'd finished washing his hands he reached up to try and flatten his hair down.

"You look like hell dear," a sleepy voice issued from the mirror.

Draco grimaced; he hardly ever heard anything but compliments from the enchanted mirrors throughout the wizarding world. He looked down and realized his gashes were still bleeding freely and he went back to his bed and retrieved his wand off the side table to stop it. He surveyed the ten small half moon slices in his arm and the resulting bruised areas around them. He was no mediwizard and despite his useful ability to stop the bleeding he couldn't take away the wound. They would scar adding to his menagerie he had acquired throughout his life.

Draco sighed and headed back into the bathroom pulling off his shirt as he went and dropped it on the floor. He slipped out of his pants and boxers and stepped into the shower. He adjusted the temperature and proceeded to massage the dried blood out of his hair.

His mind drifted as he washed. His automatic thoughts were not '_Why are the dreams getting worse,' it was more '__Why was Harry Potter not in it,' He knew why his dreams were stronger. Voldemort was growing in strength and Draco had had direct influence from his just that night, that wasn't the puzzling part._

Draco summoned up Harry's face in his mind, the way his deep green eyes scowled at him with a look of pure hate. His minds eye automatically put him in a stance of protection with Weasley or that other bushy-haired mudblood Harry was so familiar with hidden behind him. He wasn't surprised that Harry was protecting, the Golden boy, hero of the wizarding world. Draco scowled and forced his mind off the subject.

He remembered finding Harry's glasses earlier that night and the thought cheered him, his eyes glinting dangerously. He'd caught him in the act. Before when he'd had no proof it had agonized him to no end. Harry Potter sneaking around under everyone's noses. Breaking rules left and right with no consequence but not this time, this time Draco had the upper hand and he'd use it to his best advantage. He was a Malfoy and as such he learned at an early age how to play his cards. He smirked and reveled in the feeling of the clean water cascading off his nose and shoulders. Revenge was sweet and it was almost time to reap the profits.

Harry woke up the next morning with his scar beating in pain again. He held his fingers against it and frowned trying his best to ignore it. He looked around and reached for his glasses on the bed table. His hand floundered around for a moment groggily before last night's incidents clued in and he groaned and fell back on his bed. His clothes were digging in to his skin making foreign red trails in it and his cloak was twisted around him strangely. He sighed and decided to make the most of what few hours he may have left before breakfast and the first confrontation with Malfoy.

He grabbed his wand (from a highly uncomfortably placed pocket lodged in his back) and whispered a spell that would fix his eyes. The spell caused him to close his eyes when the world came racing back into crystal clarity making him dizzy. Harry had known this spell for some time and Hermione had offered many times to fix his eyes for him but he had always declined. He didn't know quite why. He supposed it was because he wanted to be like his father and somehow felt closer if he looked in his image. He didn't know why his father wore glasses either but it was good enough an excuse for him to wear his. Now it seemed strange for the word to be in focus but the black rims of his glasses not framing his view.

He rose and went about his usual mornings tasks, finishing just as Ron woke up.

"Morning Harry," Ron mumbled, sitting up and stretching as he did so. "What're you doing up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep," Harry answered truthfully. "I'm not going to breakfast today, I'll see you in class,"

"Harry, you don't even know what class you have first. You have to get your schedule at breakfast,"

Harry smiled and held up a parchment that had his schedule printed on it.

"I'm way ahead of you Ron," he had gone to the 6th year prefects and retrieved his schedule already. Though he had to admit he hadn't thought of it until he met them in the hall when he'd gone down to the common room to look for Hermione (who he'd been unsuccessful in finding) and they reminded him. Ron shrugged.

"Whatever, more food for me," He smiled and scratched his side and yawned one more time before getting up and grabbing his newly washed clothes (the house elves did everyone's laundry once a night, a fact that Ron was very grateful for, though if you asked him he'd blush and stutter and change the subject as quickly as possible. Ron had only two pairs of his school robes and was very sensitive about the fact that hee couldn't afford to buy new ones) Clothes in hand he walked into the bathroom to freshen up.

Harry settled back on his bed with _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five and skimmed over the spells they'd be learning this year. Or at least it appeared that way. In reality he wasn't looking at the book but was lost deep in thought. He winced mentally at himself for being so weak as to avoid Malfoy. But he couldn't bring himself to face him. Not when he was guilty. Well he had always been guilty before, he rephrased that. Not when he had __proof that he was guilty._

The fact that Harry had been breaking rules had never really seemed real to him because he never was caught. But not this time… There was only so long he could avoid Malfoy, in fact after his first class after breakfast (Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs) he had to make his way down to the Dungeons with, as always, the Slytherins. And even worse he'd stalled his confrontation to be in front of Snape. Harry groaned, this was going to be a _long day._

Draco sauntered in to the main hall fighting the urge to look over at Harry. It wouldn't exactly be natural if Draco Malfoy walks in to the room and immediately sneaks a look at Potter, he had a reputation to keep you know. No, he would wait. It worked to his advantage in the long run anyway. Letting Potter sweat it out as Draco took long strides toward his chair on the other side of the room.

He held down a snide smile and reached his destination sitting beside Pansy Parkinson who immediately started flapping her eyelids and babbling about something or other in a sugar sweet voice. He repressed the urge to hurl and pried Pansy's fingers from his arm giving her a death glare. She vaguely noticed and grimaced but than decided to ignore it and continued chatting aimlessly to Blaise Zabini whom was sitting beside her. Draco duly noted that Blaise wasn't very happy about the arrangement either and he shot her a sympathising look.

He turned and chatted lightly with a fellow fifth year that sat across from him focusing his willpower to keep from a triumphant smile. He finally decided Potter had had enough and looked up as if in thought to fix Potter with a specially formulated look. Unfortunately his hours in front of the mirror were wasted and his jaw dropped open involuntarily as his eyes met with an empty space, '_only that Weasel and the mudblood, what a coward'. He clenched his teeth and the world around him seemed to go quiet.  He was seeing red when Pansy tugged on his sleeve with an angry look on her face._

"_What!" he roared. Pansy raised an eyebrow._

"Just noticing that you seem to be a bit _too interested in the Gryffindor table this morning Draco," she whispered looking around her shiftily. Her eyebrows narrowed menacingly and her eyes twinkled with anger. "I would hate for you to have to go back home for a – __reminder from your father. Now shut up and stop making a fool of yourself,"_

It was only than that Draco realised he had shouted "That coward!" out loud and all of the students and faculty of Hogwarts were staring at him. A cough sounded through the silence and a few nervous shuffling noises. Draco clenched his hands but regardless, red dots appeared on his high cheekbones accordingly.

"I'm leaving," he murmured mostly to himself.

With that he stood up and stormed out of the room, his footsteps echoing in the silence. He opened the large mahogany, wooden door that separated the hallway with the huge eating hall and wrenched it open disappearing behind it. On the other side he couldn't help but notice that talking erupted after his sudden disappearance. He took off in the general direction of the dungeons fuming. '_What a coward, that Potter. Now I know__ he's guilty, not that there was ever any doubt before'_

He stormed down the hallway, his feet taking him instinctively higher in the castle rather than his mind's intent, lower. He didn't notice as Sir Cadogan yelled "I say, you there! Where are you going in such a hurry lad?" When he finally came out of his thoughts to look around he noticed he was on a path that he usually took to get to Gryffindor tower (not one of the fastest routes, but Draco didn't know that seeing as it wasn't a place he frequented often). He smirked, '_excellent_, _just what I need right now, a little Potter beating_'. He went with renewed fervour and reached the corner that would take him to that annoying Pink Lady who liked to hang around the door. He had just started to wonder how he was going to break in to the Gryffindor common room when he ran straight into someone who was coming around the same corner.

There was a yelp and the impeding object in front of Draco bounced off and fell to the ground. Draco smirked at the typical Gryffindor clumsiness before a spark of trepidation flicked across his features at how it might look him being here in front of the Gryffindor common room. It was than that he was pulled from his speculating by a frightened gasp from in front of him. A familiar green shine looked back at him and he clenched his fist and his face fell into his familiar look of contempt.

"Potter," he sneered.

"What are you doing here Malfoy?" came the unusually cool response. Draco felt his eyes widen for a split second before he scowled again. Potter had never had this cool air around him before. Then he remembered that those piercing green eyes were waiting for an answer and he was caught off guard even more, which was very un-Malfoy of him. This had to stop.

"What were you doing in the dungeons last night Potter?" direct, to the point, sure to get a reaction. He got what he wanted; His opponents eyes flashed in apprehension and the eye contact broke as Harry looked instinctively for an escape route.

"I wasn't in the-" Harry began.

"Don't bother _Potter_, I've got all the proof I need. Do you know how many dark arts curses require a personal item of the – victim?"

"Give my glasses _back_ Malfoy!" damn Gryffindors, hard to predict, all that bravery popping up all over the place. I hate Gryffindors.

"So you admit it?"

He faltered as he planned his next sentence carefully.

"-We – both know it," Harry said finally. "Might I ask what _you_ were doing down in that corridor? I'll remind you that even if you told on me you'd still get in trouble for being out of beds," trust Perfect Harry Potter to find the flaw in my plan, thankfully that meant he was grasping at straws and he's still at a disadvantage with his little toy. Yes that's a good card to play.

"I think a detention is fair exchange to see you caught, and with an invisibility cloak? My, my Potter, I don't think the professors would be too pleased about that," Harry winced.

"You'd be surprised," he countered.

"Oh, I realize you have _Dumbledore_ up your sleeve, but what do you suppose Snape would think?" A weak point but he hoped Harry's loathing of Slytherin's head of house would smooth over the fact that Snape had to answer to Dumbledore. It worked because Harry grimaced and his scowl darkened.

Draco allowed himself a triumphant smirk before reaching out a hand and pushing hard against Harry's left shoulder until he was pinned up against the wall. The green eyes leapt in surprise and Draco pressed harder. Harry tried to squirm out of his grasp but only resulted in aggravating the quickly bruising spot.

"Watch yourself Potter," Draco said his voice filled with malice. He pushed hard against Harry's shoulder once before letting go and whipping gracefully around and heading back to his dormitories all in all pleased with himself.


End file.
